Housewarming
by WickedLucy
Summary: The new house is just as dark as its inhabitant. The air is just as cold as its visitor. SQ angst.
1. Chapter 1

_Alright, so it's been_ years _that I don't post here, but what can I say? Inspiration struck back! With all the Dark One stuff, it seemed insteresting to explore the ways in which that would change the dynamic between Regina and Emma, so I decided to do a little oneshot. It is quite short, though. Just to get me back on the game. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Housewarming**

Regina walks into the new house without an invitation. Again. Luckily, Dark Ones and Evil Queens are nothing like vampires. She doesn't think Emma would make a point in saying the words 'please, do come in' given their current situation.

She finds the previously blonde-haired savior sitting leisurely by the couch, not paying mind to the intruder, sipping from a glass. The smell of alcohol reaches Regina's nostrils before she looks at the liquid.

"I do remember asking for a housewarming gift last time," Emma's now emotionless voice echoes through the room just as she turns her head slightly so she can look at the visitor, some sort of dark amusement in her eyes. "Rude."

"I didn't come here to throw you a party," the brunette walks further into the cold mansion.

"Good, I've never been too much of a party person."

For some reason, the sentence brings a small smile to Regina's lips. A tiny, unimportant fact indeed, but one that remains unchanged. Dark Emma doesn't like being the center of attention any more than Savior Emma did. She has gathered that much, and it brings some comfort, however small.

She thinks the smile goes unnoticed. But when did anything Regina-related ever go unnoticed by Emma?

"Drink?" the Dark One asks with a non-committal shrug, snapping her fingers and causing a glass much like her own to materialize on Regina's hand.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" the former Queen raises an eyebrow.

"You have called me a sloppy student before. I would think you'd be proud I'm finally learning something," the smirk, that irrefutable proof of the changes within the woman never leave her lips.

"I'm not here to quiz you on magic, either," brown eyes roll, but she takes a sip of the drink anyway.

"Which brings the question: what _are_ you doing here, Regina? Even Henry is scared to come by."

A slight tremble on her lips. It is minimal as the smirk remains, barely noticeable. But when did anything Emma-related ever go unnoticed by Regina?

"Just because you have replaced your ridiculous hot cocoa for whisky, Swan, it doesn't mean you're suddenly the greatest evil this land has ever seen." There is bite in her tone, but the words themselves are meant to soothe and assure, not hurt.

 _You are still in there somewhere, I know it. I know you._

"Oh, please, like your apple cider screams darkness."

"I'll have you know that my apple cider did make a lot of people scream," Regina smirks, at last taking a few steps closer, "In a lot of different ways throughout the years."

Oh, the intimidation game. It always made Emma recoil, leaving the usually sure woman uncertain of what to say. Not anymore. Darkness also brings confidence, it would appear. And man, is she going to enjoy putting that to the test.

"You know, Hook was here not too long ago," she gets up from the couch in a swift move, taking long strides which leave her mere inches away from Regina in a matter of seconds. The Queen gasps. The Dark One rejoices. "And he, despite my best efforts, did not seem too keen on the idea of… making me scream," the last words are nothing but a whisper, a soft breath against Regina's skin.

Too close.

Regina shudders, but refuses to step back. Instead, she meets Emma's eyes defiantly. "If you think every villain will run away in fear, you have a surprise coming your way, Swan. Unlike Hook, I am _not_ scared of you."

And there it is. A flicker of… something. In Emma's eyes, the words don't convey a threat, but relief. Relief that at least someone in this town can still see _her_ in this whirlwind of dark magic.

Just like that, though, it is gone. "Maybe you should be, Your Majesty."

She isn't sure if it's the voice, the infuriating ever-present smirk, or maybe even the magic swirling around them, but all of a sudden she is not Regina Mills anymore. She is every bit the Evil Queen.

Her hand flies up to Emma's chin, holding it forcefully so that she doesn't look away, and she dares to lean even closer. Impossibly closer.

Oh, how riveting. The flash of doubt – fear, even? – on those which were once bright green eyes. "Maybe _you_ should be, too, Swan." It is a whisper, carefully picked words deliberately thrown to the wind, to settle in the Dark One's brain for days to come.

A seed of doubt. Something for her to think about, in the midst of the mess that her life has become. In between dark thoughts, dark magic, and dark curses.

In a world full of certainties – and really bad ones at that – doubt represents a new possibility, a new path she hadn't believed possible until this moment. In her life as the Dark One, in which fate traces her every move, a glimmer of doubt represents the one thing she thought had been extinguished forever for her: hope.


	2. Chapter 2

_So I may have realized that I couldn't leave that one as a oneshot. So one more instalment and a kick up in the rating, and there you have it. Enjoy!_

* * *

" _Unlike Hook, I am not scared of you."_

" _Maybe you should be, Your Majesty."_

" _Maybe you should be, too, Swan."_

Seconds of silence turn into minutes. Minutes in which their eyes are still fixed on the other's, challenging the other to look away first, wondering if _evil_ beats _darkness_ , or if it is the other way around.

The soft cracks that come from the magic swirling around them start to grow louder, gradually occupying all the space of the room, making it more difficult to breathe, to speak, to move.

Regina is not sure when her chest starts moving at a faster pace, her breath finding Emma's skin, the minuscule particles probably the one warm element in the house.

It is that warmth that seems to pull Emma in. She is not used to it, not anymore, not like this. Regina takes one menacing step closer, forcing Emma to either allow their bodies to touch or step back. She chooses the latter. And it is the most satisfying moment for the Evil Queen.

 _I win._

Before her smug grin can even form, though, it is the Dark One herself who moves, taking not just one step, but two, three, four, in quick succession. Taken by surprise, Regina can do little but step back each time. That is, until she feels her back hitting something, and Emma's hands are on each side of her, effectively pinning her against the wall.

The defiance in Regina's eyes never falters, her lips turn upward, _daring_ the other woman to move closer.

What she did not expect was for Emma to actually do it.

She doesn't have time to react before bruising lips find hers. And it is raw and rough and just so wrong.

Yet, so right. Because it only takes a second for Regina to realize that she is kissing back. That she has been ever since their lips touched.

Emma wastes no time in bringing her hands down to Regina's waist, and, when they touch the tiny spot of skin that is currently uncovered by the brunette's movements, she hears a gasp. Whether it is one of surprise or hesitation, she doesn't know. What she does know is who she is dealing with. She knows that, were Regina to want to truly stop her, she would be flying halfway across the room by now.

So she confidently digs her fingers more firmly into the skin, feeling it, breathing it as she keeps their lips connected – not even the darkness is more enticing right now than those lips – and starts to move upwards, bringing Regina's shirt up as well.

It is surprisingly slow, especially considering how hungry and urgent the kisses are. It is perhaps the kisses themselves that have a way of grounding Emma, and even though she feels herself giving in to every single impulse right now, she has also never felt more like Emma than she does in this moment.

The feeling becomes even stronger when Regina's hands move up her back, tangling themselves into her hair and pulling her impossibly closer.

Emma's hands explore the woman before her, wanting to touch, memorize and learn every curve. She allows her fingers to move around Regina's breasts, getting close enough but never touching, a victorious smirk spreading across her face when it is the brunette's hands that reach out for hers, guiding her there.

A soft squeeze of Regina's right breast earns a moan. A trail of kisses down the woman's throat earns another.

Yes, she is learning well.

Regina doesn't speak. She doesn't have to. Instead, she lets her body react, with gasps, moans, shivers. What surprises her is not as much how free she feels, but the sounds coming from the other woman too, at her touches and kisses.

The second time Emma reaches out for her breasts, Regina herself takes off her top, allowing for full access. And Emma wastes no time in breaking their kiss and bringing her mouth lower.

It is heaven when those lips touch each nipple in turn, and her hands start to travel down, slipping underneath Emma's tight pants, still above her underwear, just to apply some pressure.

And oh, is it satisfying to make the Dark One moan that loudly, she wonders to herself with a grin. It makes her want to find new ways to do so. She lets her fingers tease just a little longer.

Emma is so lost in all the sensations that she is caught by surprise when Regina takes an unexpected step forward. She nearly loses her balance, but the brunette is there to catch her and keep her moving.

 _The tables have turned._ They both think. Neither really cares.

Before she knows it, Emma is falling to the couch and her pants and underwear are gone. She smirks and grabs the back of Regina's neck, bringing their bodies closer again. And when Regina starts to tease her clit before swiftly pushing one finger inside her, she nearly screams, biting lightly on the woman's lower lip.

It is instinct, desire, longing, and many, _so_ many other feelings that she doesn't dare to name. It is not the time nor place for the most complicated ones.

All she can see and feel is Regina, on top of her, all over her, _inside_ her.

When her gasps grow heavier, Regina's kisses grow softer, just for a moment, just so that their eyes can meet – probably for the first time ever since their lips did – and she can whisper: "Are you ok?" She thinks she sees something different in the younger woman. Her eyes are softer and her hair suddenly looks less white. It looks blonde just as it did before… before she sacrificed herself. _For me._

Emma can only nod in response. She is more than ok. And the power of her release only goes to prove that point.

As her heavy breathing starts to slow down, Regina pulls her hand away, but leaves it there, caressing Emma's thighs until the woman comes down from her orgasm.

"Yes, I am more than ok," Emma finally speaks, turning them around so that she is on top. She teases Regina once more, slipping her hand over her underwear, but the brunette is having none of it.

A forceful tug, and one of them – they aren't sure who, and it matters very little – resumes removing the rest of the clothes, and Emma's hand spreads over Regina's center, applying pressure to then start moving up and down, feeling her until a subtle nod tells her to go on.

Then she is inside, moving in and out, slow at first until the brunette's body starts to move with her, urging her to go quicker. And she is so tight and simply intoxicating. Her breaths, her moans. Emma increases her pace and it doesn't take long before Regina comes undone, holding onto her as if her life depends on it.

And Emma never lets go. She won't let go unless Regina wants her to.

Some of Emma's hair is loose and messy now. _And blonde._ It can't be.

Their lips meet again, because their eyes can't. Not after this. Not when the desire is sated and the spell dissipates, and they are both forced to remember there is a world outside. There are people. _Their_ people. There is life and there are complications and doubts and an overwhelming myriad of reasons as to why this is a very bad idea.

As if reading her mind, Emma pulls away first, pushing Regina away from her with enough – and surprising – gentleness so that she doesn't fall of the couch, but gets out of it on her own. "You should go," her voice is cold, but, once again, the little break on her words betrays her true feelings.

"I agree," Regina imitates the tone, a little more successful in hiding the many cracks on the walls she has so carefully built around herself for the past months. Her lie doesn't show through. She simply can't let it.

And Emma buys into the lie. It is what makes her eyes grow hollow again, and her hair go white – certainly just a trick of light from the poorly lit house – and with another easy snap of her fingers, they are both fully dressed and Regina is out of the door faster than Emma can reach for the still half full – or is it half empty now? – glass of whisky and throw it against the wall.

She can see Regina's figure retreating on the street, not once looking back, and thinks of the woman's previous words. Maybe she was right. Maybe Emma _should_ be afraid of her.

Just not for the reasons she would have thought of.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ok, a short update. This is officially turning into a chapter fic. I suck at finishing them, but I promise I'll try, since people are actually reading it! (Thank you to those of you who took your time to review, fave and follow!)_

 _I just wanted to say a few things first:_

 _1) This will follow the show, but very loosely. The whole Camelot plot has been kind of a snooze fest if you ask me, so I will take LOTS of liberties regarding what happens and the timeline in which it happened. If there are inaccuracies with the show, it is because I am choosing to not follow the show on that particular plot, and there will be certain plot points which will be entirely different. But, of course, there have been certain scenes that are totally worth revisiting, so I will also be doing that. :D_

 _2) I realize the scenes are short and quite dry and direct right now, but this is also being done on purpose, as both Regina and Emma are unwilling to deal with what's happened between them. So I am not getting too deep into what they are thinking for now, because they are refusing to think about it. That is why the scenes are pretty much right to the point, just describing actions and dialogue. But it will slowly change as the story progresses. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to let me know if it doesn't!_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 _"Are you ok?"_

 _"I am more than ok."_

Emma wakes up with a loud gasp, her body sitting up faster than she can gather her thoughts and remember where she is. Light and dark. Camelot and Storybrooke. Emma and… whatever she has become.

The others should be thanking her for having no recollection of the previous weeks. She is really only sparing them of this confusion, and of the mess they made. All of them.

But then her hand involuntarily ghosts over her lips, the words replaying in her head over and over. She cannot remember the last time she felt that way. Not just 'more than ok'. Simply… more.

* * *

 _"You should go."_

 _"I agree."_

Regina shivers as she remembers the tone of her own voice as she uttered the two words. The two words that relieved Emma of any wrongdoing, any responsibility. The words that let her know they were on the same page. But were they?

She isn't sure of much. It is hard to be sure of anything when a huge chunk of your memory gets taken away from you. But there is one single certainty, one that Regina knows, even if her mind screams for her to deny it, hide it, _change_ it, at any cost.

She knows she didn't want to go.

* * *

The sound of the crashing waves has always been soothing to Emma. It is no different to her darker version. And it is so strange. She doesn't feel like herself at all. But, at times, it's as if this new version is an exacerbated extension of the old Emma. At others, she is a different person entirely.

Hook has been avoiding her ever since that night. It shouldn't bother her, but it does. Because he made promises. Promises she allowed herself to believe in. She, who never trusted or let herself need anyone before, has grown accustomed to the comfortable feeling of safety that comes with knowing someone is willing to fight for you. And it is one thing to never let yourself feel it, but once you do, it gets really hard to let go.

"Swan."

Apparently, it goes both ways.

"So now you think I'm me again?" her voice holds resentment and sadness, but mostly anger as he approaches her on the docks.

He glances at her, and she turns to meet his eyes. But it doesn't happen. He looks away before it can. He _always_ looks away now.

"What do you want?" she asks, gaze now directed at the sea before them, not entirely interested in his answer. It won't be what she wants to hear, anyway. Not that she even knows what she wants to hear.

"Last night, I…" he starts, hand moving to his hair as he tries to find the words.

"You thought a kiss would bring your beloved Savior back," she completes with a humorless laugh, blocking the images that immediately flood her mind of how she _was_ brought back, even if for a few minutes, but not by him. "And then you realized it was still me there, and you bolted."

"Shouldn't it have worked?"

He looks at her, and she almost feels sorry for him. Because he does seem hurt, and lost. But she is no savior anymore. It is not her job to fix him or make sure he gets _his_ happy ending.

"Not when you can't love all of me," the words are delivered with a shrug and a cold tone that makes him tense immediately.

And she simply turns and walks away, her expression emotionless. It is a fact. One she has probably known for a while, but now has irrefutable proof of. _No big deal,_ she thinks. Just one more person to cross off the list of the ones who think Emma Swan owes them something. Or who have made her believe so. There is only one person she owes anything to. And it is definitely not Hook.

* * *

"Regina. Regina?" Robin's voice seems far away at first, but it gets louder and closer as Henry snaps his fingers in front of her.

"Mom, you've been distracted all day," it is Henry, of course, who causes her mind to snap right back and finally respond.

"Yes, I suppose I have," the tight lipped smile is one that her son is more than familiar with. But he chooses not to push, not here and now. "It must be the curse," she speaks without thinking, earning a curious look from the teen and Robin, who sit in front of her at a booth in Granny's.

"Why? Have you been feeling alright?" concerned blue eyes regard her carefully, but, with a softer smile now, she nods her head.

How easily the lies come.

But maybe it is not as much a lie when it is yourself you are trying to convince. And Regina is convinced that, since the night at Emma's place, she has been seeing things where there is nothing to see.

It started with Emma's physical changes. That couldn't have been real, so she dismissed it as a trick of light. But then as she walked home, a flash. Of herself and a much more Savior-like Emma and a dreamcatcher. And tears. Her tears. Then something about a tree. Arthur. Excalibur. Camelot.

It is never enough to answer any of her questions. It doesn't solve anything. They are but loose pieces she can't seem to fit together. And she is not about to ask the one person who remembers for help, either.

"I'm ok," her smile finally settles into a real one as Robin brings his hand to her cheek, cupping it lovingly, and she leans against his touch. The guilt that came with the other night was almost overwhelming at first, but if there is one thing Regina has always been good at was hiding her true feelings, even from herself. If even she can't access them, no one else can. So it became natural to pretend it didn't happen. Or, even if it did, that it didn't matter. That is was another one of the Dark One's games. The only thing she allows herself to feel right now is anger at herself for falling into it again. First Rumple manipulating her. Now this.

She is done.

The fact that the only reason they are in this situation in the first place is because Emma sacrificed herself for Regina's happiness, though, is quite an inconvenient truth. So she stashes it in the same locked box as their night together. The sacrifice, that night, and everything else that came with it.

"I'm right here," she places her hand over his, and turns her head so she can place a soft kiss against his skin.

But the slight shift in her angle of sight allows her to look outside. Quickly. But there is enough time for her eyes to meet someone else's. The cold, green eyes she can't seem to decipher look right back at her from the street.


	4. Chapter 4

_So sorry it took me so long to update, I've been studying like crazy and it doesn't leave me much time. However, this chapter is slightly longer than the others. I think from the next chapter on things should start to develop some more between Emma and Regina, I just need to establish some things first so that some other things make sense later. Thank you so much to those of you who took the time to leave a review. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 _The slight shift in her angle of sight allows her to look outside. Quickly. But there is enough time for her eyes to meet someone else's. The cold, green eyes she can't seem to decipher look right back at her from the street._

Regina looks away first, unable – or maybe unwilling, she isn't quite sure herself – to face the woman. She waits for the ringing that would indicate Granny's door being opened, but it never comes.

When the brunette braves another look outside, there is no one there.

She sighs at the way her body starts to move – so ready to go, to follow, as if she is programmed to do so – but then stops herself.

 _No._

She has a life. A life she has worked so hard for. Smiles that come naturally, laughter that fills her heart with warmth, kisses that… _are nothing compared to that night._

 _No, Regina!_

She shakes her head and turns to kiss Robin, a little deeper than it would be appropriate for such a public place. If he is taken aback, he doesn't say so.

"Ew, mom!" Henry makes a show of covering his eyes and she pulls back with a smirk that matches his own.

Despite his protests, the boy is happy, too. What right does she have to mess with fate this way? Just when it has finally decided to cut her some slack?

"So, any news from Belle about the curse? And our memories?" Robin asks after a moment of silence, lazily stroking Regina's hand.

It is comfortable. It is nice. She would be lying to herself if she said it doesn't feel good. But there is something missing, and it is not just her memories. "You know what?" she thinks out loud, telling her own mind to just shut it, relax, stop overthinking and stay in the moment, "All we do lately is search and we're getting nowhere. Why don't we take a day off?"

"What are you saying?" Henry raises his eyebrows in a manner that is eerily similar to his mother's.

"I'm saying," Regina gets up, grabbing her jacket, "We get Roland and go for a walk at the beach. Just the four of us. Maybe getting some distance from the situation will make things clearer."

"And we'll get some new ideas on what to do next! I like it," Henry smiles, promptly getting up as well.

It can't hurt to try. Over the past days, they have been hitting dead end after dead end and she doesn't see how a solution can appear out of nowhere. Maybe if they stop thinking about it and relax for a while, their minds will come to the right answers. At least that's what people always seem to tell each other – and themselves – when they face such predicaments.

It also doesn't hurt that the beach is located on the exact opposite side of town from Emma's new place.

* * *

Emma walks back inside her house, shutting the door closed forcefully, nearly breaking it as she does so. Her stomach growls, but so does she. It will have to wait. Despite its protests, she doesn't feel as hungry anymore.

Instead, she paces, wanting to scream in frustration. How could she let things get to that point? Ever since Camelot, how could her actions ultimately lead to all of this? It's not as if she had a choice, not really. But she cannot helping wondering if there is something she could've done so that things could turn out differently. Anything but this mess.

Feeling the rage starting to take over, she opens the back door, going outside to the place that always manages to calm her down.

Her dreamcatchers.

Each holds a memory; some dear, some painful.

Her eyes close softly and she reaches for a random one. When they open again, she isn't sure how she feels about it. She has half a mind to put it back in place, but ultimately brings it to eye level and focuses.

* * *

 _Camelot – 5 weeks ago_

"Are you sure about this?" Emma asks, even though they both know they are running out of options. Merlin needs to be free in order to help her, and each day they wait is another day for darkness to sip in, to find its way into her. It is another day in which she might need to use her magic, to save someone else, like she did Robin.

Robin. It is, she suspects, one of the reasons why Regina suggested this. Reliving her most painful memory in the hopes that it will generate the missing ingredient for their potion. The Evil Queen feels guilty.

"You don't have to," the blonde says half-heartedly.

"Yes, I do," Regina replies, and even though they may have different reasons as to _why_ it is true, neither can deny that it is.

So Emma doesn't argue. She sits in front of the brunette, lifting the dreamcatcher and doing what needs to be done.

When the image appears before her, too, her hand trembles a little. Having not done such spell with another in the room, she had no clue she would also be privy to it. She almost ends it – it is not her place, it is way too intimate – but Regina, even though surprised, doesn't protest. More than that, she gives the tiniest nod that allows for Emma to see it, to become a part of it.

She almost wishes she hadn't, because it is heavy, and so painful that she almost forgets the reason they are doing this in the first place. The tear. Reaching out in a quick movement, the small droplet is captured and the scene vanishes, leaving a distraught Regina in front of her.

Emma fights the urge to reach out, choosing to speak instead. "I'm so sorry, Regina." They talk for a minute, and during that minute they truly get each other. It is comforting that, even though their lives have inflicted such different experiences upon each of them, they are still able to relate to and understand each other's pain in a deeper way.

But there are wizards to be freed, potions to be cooked up and darkness to be let out. Emma thanks her one more time and they both get up to go.

Just like that, it is as if it never happened.

* * *

 _Storybrooke – Present time_

Regina takes a deep breath and the salty ocean breeze makes its way into her lungs, causing a relaxed smile to form on the brunette's face. From the corner of her eye, she can see Robin watching her, happy to see her expression.

It is not a particularly beautiful day, but it matters very little. She enjoys the contact of her feet on the sand, the laughter of the boys as they run after each other, the soft sounds of the crashing waves.

For a moment, it all seems so… normal. She is just a woman, enjoying a moment with her son and the ones who are slowly becoming a part of her family, too.

It is all incredibly uplifting… for a moment.

Her phone rings way too soon. She rolls her eyes the same way she always does when she sees Mary Margaret's name on her screen – it is more of a habit than actual annoyance by now, really – and picks up.

"Regina, we found something. Something that could help us communicate with Merlin," the younger brunette exclaims, not waiting for a greeting. "Can you meet us by your vault so we can work on the potion?"

"The crimson crown? It is here in Storybrooke?" she stops in her tracks, her words catching Robin's attention. After a quick confirmation from Snow, she nods to herself. "I'm on my way."

"What's happening?" Robin is in front of her in a heartbeat.

She looks back and sees Henry and Roland, still laughing and having fun, and can't bring herself to get them out of that moment. So she smiles softly at Robin, "I have to go. But maybe you guys should stay. Enjoy the day. I won't be in danger, I promise," she adds because she knows it will be on the top of his mind. "It is just cooking up a potion, that's all."

His nod is hesitant, but it is there. She pecks his lips and makes her way back to town to meet with the others.

* * *

Henry and Roland run all over the beach. Her son may be a teenager now, but Emma cannot help smiling as she notices the way he cares about the younger boy. She observes carefully – she has to – but he seems ok so far. No sign of…

The new Dark One stops her own train of thought, shaking her head in an attempt to diffuse it. She has enough bad energy around her and definitely doesn't need more from her own negativity.

From her spot, way farther from her son than she would like, she keeps watch for any indication, but finds none. Nothing so far, anyway.

At least nothing she can catch from the distance. The self-imposed distance that physically hurts her, but is necessary. As much as she wants to deny it, this is her own mess to fix, not theirs. What happened earlier with Regina, it was a slip she can't afford to let happen again, not before she has more answers for them. And for herself.

* * *

 _Camelot – 4 weeks ago_

"Regina, what happened?" Emma walks inside the brunette's chambers, the cry that had just come from the woman immediately replaced by the loud humming as her dagger calls out to her. It is enough to make Emma stumble back and prompt Hook to catch her.

"Swan? What's happening?" his eyes, always so concerned, so full of love and adoration, are almost too much for her at the moment. She needs to focus.

So she swiftly moves away from him and towards the bleeding woman, her eyes widening as she sees the wounds on her arms and stomach.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Regina's voice is strained, but firm. Stubborn, even.

"How did you get hurt?" Emma urges, looking between Regina and Robin.

It is him who replies. "More knights who are not happy to have the Evil Queen in their lands. They caught us by surprise."

"You were with her? I saved you and you couldn't even protect her?"

It is a low blow. Even if the blonde didn't know it the moment the words left her mouth, the sad puppy look on his face is more than enough proof. But she doesn't have the time nor the patience to apologize.

"Emma, just…"

"Leave!" she turns to Hook before he can finish, "and take him with you," she points at Robin, unsurprised that he follows without an argument, but surprised that there are no arguments from Regina's side, either.

Once they are both out, she doesn't say a word, simply letting her hands hover above the brunette's body and closing her eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Emma startles when her hands are slapped away with surprising force for someone who has just been wounded.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Regina?"

"Perhaps you forgot, Miss Swan, but the idea here is for you to _not_ use your magic anymore. I'm fine." There's a flinch as Regina tries to stand and prove her point. Not managing more than sitting up, the brunette grimaces, but then smirks as if sitting was her plan all along. "See?"

"No offense, Regina, but you look horrible," her voice comes out softer than she expected.

The brunette shifts so that she can look at Emma better, the simple action making her bite her lip and close her eyes. And Emma may not know all there is to know about her, but she knows that the woman doesn't _flinch._ She doesn't blink, she doesn't show weakness. So it must be really bad if she can't help herself.

"You are not using magic unless it is a life or death situation. And this," she points at herself, "is clearly not the case."

"Fine," Emma rolls her eyes, yet the movement soon becomes more out of amusement than annoyance once she sees the victorious smirk plastered on Regina's face. "At least lie down so we can take care of that. They hate you enough without you bleeding all over their furniture."

She gets a scoff in return, but the brunette, for once, does as she's told. Emma, on her part, grabs some clean cloths and water and makes her way back to Regina, carefully starting to clean her wounds. The biggest one is on her stomach: a clear indication that whoever attacked her was aiming to kill, or at least injure her seriously. There were a few scrapes on her right arm, probably defensive.

Regina flinches at a particularly deep cut and the other woman sends her an apologetically look before her features harden again. "Your boyfriend is an idiot."

"Am I really getting that speech from the drunken pirate's true love?" the brunette raises an eyebrow, irritation seeping through her tone.

She gets no answer other than green eyes looking away from her brown ones. The attention to her wounds, however, doesn't stop. "Don't use those words," Emma whispers so quietly that Regina isn't sure she heard it right.

"Drunken pirate?" she asks in genuine confusion.

"No," Emma's touch is soothing, uncharacteristically soft and delicate – something Regina did not expect – as she finishes bandaging her arms and gently motions for the injured woman to sit up so she can do the same to her torso. "True love."

* * *

 _Storybrooke – Present time_

"Don't you think it's weird that he wanted to be alone?" Hook wonders out loud as they wait for Arthur to reemerge.

"I think it's weird that you're here with us. Shouldn't you be pining for your girlfriend at her doorstep?" Regina replies, an eye roll following her words.

The pirate, more than used to the Queen's snark, ignores the words promptly. Mary Margaret is just about to say something undoubtedly annoying when the door opens, and Arthur emerges, letting them know the potion did not work.

He apologizes and walks away, and, even though Emma's parents buy it without a second thought – always seeing the best in people, the two idiots – Regina cannot help looking at Hook.

 _Maybe he had a point._

The look is all it takes. He nods quietly and moves to go inside, but Regina motions for him to stay in place. "Not yet," she mouths.

Arthur may be close. If they indeed have reason not to trust him, it might work to their advantage if Camelot's king does not know just yet. And the whole town knows that the Charmings can't seem to keep their mouths shut for the life of them.

Which is why she bids them goodbye and waits for them to get out of her sight before going in, pirate in tow.

It takes them exactly four seconds to find what they are looking for – the crimson crown, thrown to the fire.

"Well," Regina says as she holds the magic mushroom between them, "It would seem our little quest has just become trickier."


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you so much to those of you who are still reading this. I have some more free time now so I'll try and be better at updating more often. I am posting this now and already getting started on the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be too long! Let me know what you think._

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Emma's next encounter with Hook is not accidental. She asks him to meet her at the boat with some excuse of wanting things to be ok between them again. The Dark One has every intention of saying the words, doing her thing and vanishing away, but it turns out not to be that simple.

Because in his eyes, she sees it. She sees the hope she once felt, she sees the confusion and the hurt, and she sees the anger, ever present now within deep blue eyes, at the person she's become. And, for those moments when it is just the two of them, she misses the person she was, too. She misses playful flirting that turns into kisses, she misses the way he loves her, a love so unwavering – or so she thought – that made her believe it was enough to fix her.

But this version of her is starting to uncover the painful truth: that, unless she is every bit the Savior, she is not enough. If she is not enough, he doesn't love her. If he doesn't love her, she is still as broken as ever. Because Emma Swan has lost too much already, and that is what he doesn't know: that everything she has allowed herself to become was a sacrifice made to ensure she can break the cycle and not lose anyone else.

He doesn't get. None of them do.

 _Because I made them forget._

"This isn't you, Emma."

Killian keeps saying that, and each time he does, one more part of her heart breaks. Because no matter how deep she lets darkness seep in, she is still Emma. Emma is the one taking each step and making every decision. Emma is the one weighing down the consequences of each word she speaks and each spell she casts. Beneath it all, this is her. A different, darker part, maybe, but still her.

But denial is always easier, isn't it?

"Keep fighting for someone who doesn't exist, Killian, and you'll lose more than her."

She supposes it may sound like a threat – most things she says now sound eerie and harmful – but it is not. It is advice from someone who truly hopes he can find peace and happiness. Even if it isn't with her.

And, with it, she disappears in dark smoke, his sword in hand.

* * *

"This can't be good," Regina's hand shoots up to her temple as she paces back and forth in front of the desk at her office. "What could she want with Rumple?"

"I don't know, but we need to find him. He's probably still weak," a frantic Belle urges her, turning around to see no one other than Hook walking in.

"She has my sword," he announces urgently, "Although it holds no power, so I haven't the faintest idea what she would need it for."

"I hear you wouldn't let her play with your… sword," Regina shoots back, "Maybe she finally saw the light and decided she can play with herself," a satisfied grin appears on her face at the look she sees on his, but then her eyes meet Belle's again and it is back to business.

"That's it," the younger brunette says, looking between both former villains, "If she got her hands into something that touched Rumple before he was the Dark One, she could've used that to wake him up."

"Ok, that explains the sword theft, but it still doesn't tell us why she needs him," the Mayor thinks out loud.

"Well, ladies," Hook takes a swig of rum, grinning – Regina's previous words completely forgotten already – and opening the door in a motion for them to follow, "There is only one way to find out, isn't there? We're going into the Dark One's lair."

* * *

She does feel kind of bad letting a thirteen year old's horse run away. But this is Storybrooke, and she has made sure the animal cannot cross the town line, and even threw in a protection spell so it doesn't get hurt as it runs about.

Emma hasn't missed the looks between Henry and Violet, even back in Camelot, and she thinks that the boy, now more than ever, needs to be surrounded by all the best feelings he can possibly get. She wants him to feel loved, cared for, and never for a second think that he's alone.

Sometimes she regrets casting this curse for that very reason. She thought being isolated from the others would help her think clearly, without distractions. But every single time she looks at her family, usually from a distance, she cannot help wondering: wouldn't they understand?

And she knows they probably would. She knows they would not hesitate putting their lives on the line of fire, ready to make any sacrifice to help her with what she needs to do. Her parents. Hook. Henry. Regina. _Especially_ Regina.

It is then that she is reminded of the real reason. She needs to protect them. Whatever happens, she needs to make sure that they are safe.

It is easier to do what needs to be done with that in mind.

Even if it means kidnapping Gold and taking Merida's heart. Threatening Belle's life – she knows it won't come to that, though, if it does, there is a plan B.

She needs Excalibur, she thinks as the horse runs away. She needs its power. It is the only way she can make it up to her family.

* * *

Henry _really_ wants Violet to go to the fair they are having later. For the past weeks, everything has been confusing, or a battle of some sort. Violet makes things seem simple and light. He thinks it's strange that she can do that while also making his stomach flip a thousand times with each step that brings them closer.

So, when he sees her sad expression, the boy is determined to fix it. He is the Savior's son, after all. Not to mention the truest believer. Oh, right, and the Author. He is a lot of things. So many that, sometimes, it is hard to remember that he is also a thirteen year old boy, with all the insecurities, fears, and doubts that come with it.

Maybe he can do this alone. But he doesn't want to.

He smiles as a plan – not quite an Operation this time – forms in his head. He'd like help. He'd also like to spend some time showing his mom that she doesn't have to let darkness win. That he misses her, too.

 _It can't hurt to try._

* * *

 _Camelot – 4 weeks ago_

"It can't hurt to try, Regina."

The look the blonde gets after the unfortunate comment would be terrifying if they weren't Emma and Regina, and she didn't know the woman in front of her almost as well as she knows herself.

"Did you really just say that, Swan?" the brunette flinches as she swings her legs out of the bed and sits up, placing her feet down and getting ready to try and stand. The cut on her stomach was deeper than it seemed, and it had resulted in a couple of days in bed.

Emma had enough once a fever started to develop and was ready to use her magic, but Regina was adamant. She even got better after that, just to spite her, for sure. They didn't ask any doctor to see her – none of them trusted anyone in Camelot – but they all agreed that she should stay in bed a few more days. They all agreed, except Regina herself.

"I told you we'd be back to Miss Swan before you knew it," she smirks to her side, where David stands uncomfortably, trying to help his former nemesis up.

"Shut up, both of you."

"But I didn't even…" David tries to speak, but is silenced by the same look which was directed at Emma not a minute ago.

It definitely works on him.

Never mind the fact that this was all Regina's idea in the first place. That David or Emma were against it. Right now, they have to deal with a grumpy queen in, no doubt, a huge amount of pain she is trying to hide.

"Regina, stop," Emma's voice softens as she sits next to the brunette, taking her hand to her forehead to check for signs of fever. Regina immediately flinches away from the touch, which earns her a sigh. "Let me try."

"No." There is no space for discussion in her tone.

"Then give yourself a break and get some more rest. Excalibur will still be there tomorrow."

This time, Regina listens.

* * *

 _Storybrooke – Present time_

She knows that Emma will notice their presence before they approach the house. She knows Emma would not want Hook anywhere near her place – hell, _she_ doesn't want Hook anywhere near Emma's place (and where is that coming from, by the way?) – so Regina comes up with a different plan. And, when Henry tells her about his, she is convinced that he is every bit her son, too.

Hook will go back to Arthur's camp and try to gather more information on the king. Charming, Snow and Belle will get to Emma's house to try and figure out what is happening. As for getting Emma out of the house, well, it seems like Henry's plan fits just perfectly with theirs.

When the doorbell rings and Emma opens it, she is more than surprised to see Henry standing by her porch. He cannot help noticing the way she observes him, as if she is looking for something. But he supposes he also searches for something when he looks at her.

The boy explains about Violet's horse, and the smile that lightens the blonde's face nearly washes over the darkness within her, because he _wants_ her to help. He believes she can still do good, even if it's in the small gesture of reuniting a girl with her horse. So she agrees to it. How could she not?

What does give her pause is seeing Regina further ahead, by the car, waiting for the both of them. Her feet stop moving even when Henry's keep going, unaware of the tension between the two women.

"Henry, could you wait inside the car for a minute? I need to talk to your mother," Regina smiles to the boy and then to Emma, trying to hide her own anxiety for their sake. Someone needs to.

Carefully, she approaches the blonde, who has her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I thought this was going to be just me and Henry," Emma tries to keep her tone cold, but the slight break on her voice gives something more away.

Regina constantly harassed Emma in the past about her predisposition to run from her feelings, from her problems, from the ones who love her, from happiness. She has identified the tendency and used it against the blonde in any way she could – until the day she realized they were not all that different.

She was not any better than Emma when it came to dealing with her own feelings. It wasn't just the Swan; the Queen also ran a lot.

But she was determined to break that habit. Starting now. Starting with keeping her feet planted in front of the blonde and her eyes staring into green ones, even when her every cell told her to send a hurtful remark, turn her back and go.

It takes every bit of courage that she has, but Regina finally speaks. "I think it's about time we stopped avoiding each other, don't you?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"They're out," David whispers as soon as his daughter leaves the house. He doesn't miss the way both she and Regina tense at each other's presence, but he dismisses it as a new side of the tension that has always been there with them and doesn't give it much more thought. "Come on, we may not have too much time."

Snow picks the lock with the ease of someone who's had to do more than her fair share of stealing, back in the day, and they are inside.

"What now?" the pixie haired brunette asks, looking around the house, feeling more than a little guilty at breaking into her own daughter's place.

It is Belle who takes one step after the other, without hesitation, and starts opening doors and looking around. "Now we find my husband."

* * *

Were Emma not so entranced by the way Regina looks at her, were she not so surprised and absolutely at a loss for words, she would probably have heard the little thuds and bangs as her parents broke into her house. She would have looked back and caught them in the act. But she couldn't bring herself to hear or see anything else.

When her eyes and Regina's met for the first time in weeks – weeks that in fact felt like months – her mind was flooded by images, sounds, touches, sighs, gasps. Memories of fleeting moments of hope she doesn't dare to hold onto, happiness she doesn't dare to believe in.

It didn't mean anything.

Yet she knows it meant everything. A part of her knows exactly what each little spark of light meant, and she has a feeling Regina does, too. But that doesn't mean either of them is ready to talk about it.

"Henry needs our help," Regina breaks the silence.

A truce. An indication that they do not need to talk about things, not now. But that they also don't need to run the other way whenever they see each other.

"It meant nothing," the lie leaves Emma's lips, taking Regina by surprise.

The brunette, on her end, goes through every possible emotion until she settles on the more familiar one. "Don't flatter yourself, dear," she mimics Emma's tone, "And do not look at me like I am some lovesick puppy crawling at your feet," she then reaches into her pocket, taking the car keys and throwing them the blonde's way – who catches them with surprisingly quick reflexes – before doing what both of them do best. "I am sure you and Henry can handle this on your own," when she speaks, her back is already turned to the blonde as she walks away.

And as Emma closes her eyes and sighs heavily, she knows that her truth is every bit Regina's truth as well.

 _It meant everything._

* * *

 _Camelot – 4 weeks ago_

"Good to see you back on your feet," Snow's cheery voice immediately gives Regina a headache, which she doesn't make any effort to hide as she brings her hand to her temple.

She doesn't have time for pleasantries, they've wasted enough of it while she was forced to rest for what it felt like weeks. "Where are we at here? Where's Emma?"

"Out with Hook."

That does nothing for the former Queen's headache, except maybe helping it turn into a migraine. One that grows stronger all of a sudden, strong enough to force her to take a seat. Snow is next to her before she can think to say anything. "What's wrong? Maybe you should get back to bed."

"I'm _fine,_ " the older brunette replies, and, for once, it isn't a complete lie. "I mean, I'm not, but it has nothing to do with why I wasn't fine before. This is Emma. She's…" placing her hand over her heart, the words spill from her mouth. Regina has no idea where it comes from, or how she knows, but there is not one trace of doubt as she speaks, "She just used dark magic again."

There is no time for Snow to react, for the heavy wooden door suddenly bursts open and said blonde walks in, pirate in tow. "We may have a problem." He states.

Regina strides towards him, finger poking at his chest. "What did you do now?"

"Whoa, whoa, it wasn't my fault! And hey, how do you even know?"

"Yes, Regina," Emma speaks for the first time, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "How _do_ you know?"

"I… I know everything. You two should be aware of that by now," she smirks, but cannot wipe the worry off her face as her expression softens. "Emma, you know you can't keep using magic."

"Look, it wasn't his fault. We were riding, and it was actually helping me a lot, but then his horse kind of… went crazy. I had to do something."

"He's a big boy, he would've been fine!" the brunette's voice rises, exasperated, "You, on the other hand, we can't be sure. You need to understand how serious this curse is." Then, turning back to Hook, she glares once more, "And by the way, yes, this was entirely your fault."

* * *

 _Storybrooke – Present time_

Regina is not happy with the things they find in Emma's house. The secrets, the sword, the signs that she indeed has Rumple, even though they couldn't locate the former Dark One. With each new discovery, it gets harder for them to trust that the blonde knows what she is doing, that it is all part of a plan. Regina's trust falters long enough for her to take a couple of dreamcatchers she finds on a table in the house. The first one makes her seethe as it proves how useless Hook was back in Camelot. He made her use magic. He helped turn her into that. Not only that, but to see Emma dressed in white, still herself, still there with them, working with them makes her heart ache.

She doesn't look into the other dreamcatcher, not yet. Not until after Henry is home and they've had dinner. Not until he is getting ready for bed and she finishes the dishes and sees the magical object again. She holds it at eye level, and it this point Regina isn't sure if she wants to look out of curiosity, or just because she actually misses that version of Emma.

Or at least the version she believed she would see.

Because what she does look into is not what she expected at all.

Darkness. Rage. And blood. So much blood, so hard to figure anything out, except for Emma's grin. Chilling, cold, _evil_ , staring right back at Regina.

"Is that…?" Henry's shaky voice breaks the magical connection, and the dreamcatcher goes back to being just that.

Regina drops it and turns around to find her son's eyes filled with confusion and sadness. "We don't know what this means. What was happening."

"It can't be true. I spent the day with her, Mom. She is not that… that monster."

Outside of the house, Emma's finger is just about to press the doorbell when she hears Henry's last words. And she knows exactly what she saw. After all, she knows which dreamcatchers went missing. Her hand stops midway, and goes to her mouth instead as she tries to suppress any sound.

But the door opens anyway.

"How did you know…"

"I didn't," Regina replies, closing the door behind them as Henry goes upstairs to his room, unaware of Emma's presence. The brunette, on the other hand, is not surprised at all, "I don't understand it, I just knew you were here."

They stare at each other as one leans against the door and the other, against the column, one daring the other to speak first.

"He didn't mean that," Regina's voice breaks the silence, "You know he didn't. He was just surprised."

"And you?"

"Does it matter?"

More silence. For two people who not too long ago couldn't see each other without bickering, the lack of words is uncomfortable, unfamiliar. Emma and Regina argue, that's what they do. They fight and they push each other's buttons, and they save the town and each other. But this? Fighting a hellish beast seems easier than this.

"I'm doing my best, you know?" Emma's weak voice reaches Regina's ears, causing her to look up at the blonde curiously, "I am trying, but this… I'm not me anymore, Regina."

"You're wrong," she shakes her head slowly, taking a step forward, not too close, but still closing some of the distance between them, "This _is_ you."

At first, Emma looks up, confusion and hurt showing, and Regina immediately understands what it probably sounded like.

"No, you didn't understand. What I see is someone who did not hesitate to take in the Dark One's curse to save my life. This is who you are. But it's not who I've seen the past days. You can do better than this."

"You took the dreamcatchers. You really can't trust me, can you?"

Regina's next step brings her almost face to face with the blonde, and she nearly reaches out, but stops herself. They could be going into dangerous territory. "I _know_ you're in there, Emma. It's just…" a deep breath, eye to eye again, "I've seen you at your best. And I miss that."


End file.
